I thought we were done until I forgot about hair! Ok, so hair is something I have a love-hate relationship with. I am a pretty fast rooter, so that is what I usually end up doing. And not to be a rooter-horn-tooter, but all that practice has made me pretty good at it. I have a couple of different rooting maps that I can use to get diverse styles; I can't quite monoroot, but I can get damn close; and I have mastered the sparse rooting style, which is my preferred look for most babies. What I can't do is paint hair. I really want to learn to paint hair. I have tried and Tried and TRIED to paint hair and it usually looks so bad I end up rooting. Lots of people love rooted hair, so it is not a bad problem to have. The thing is, I like the low maintenance of painted hair. I love that I can pick that baby up and put it down and not have to spend 10 min brushing and styling. My favorite baby is bald, but I haven't reborned one myself that I like bald. Anyways, I tried again...
Eh. It is better. I am getting better. It is nowhere near my inspiration. So I did this:
And I wound up with this!
Here he is! I see a boy, but I am totally willing to ship off a girl. He was a blast to make.
Looking back, there were several times when I was unsure of what I was putting on the doll. I wanted to strip him at least twice for all of my bold talk. I also realize that this baby has a LOT of color on it, especially the face and feet. He may not be everyone's cup of tea and that is OK. Doing this doll made me realize that I definitely do have a unique style. My style preferences are strong. So strong that even when following a tutorial, I have to deviate to make myself happy and that is OK, too. What I love most about this baby is the confidence that I have gained in my aesthetic choices.
I got good feedback from the ladies on the Bountiful Baby Forum, my favorite place to hang out. Every time I do a doll, I get so much encouragement on my growth. These ladies have seen where I have been and inspire me to move forward. If you are a reborn artist, new or veteran, I encourage you to join us over there. It is a truly uplifting community and excellent vibes and generous artist that are willing to teach, coach, and share. I could not do any of this without my BB squad.
Stay tuned for my next project: teensy baby Caleb! (squeeee!)